So. I was on time, planned to perfection and.
Anyway, got myself down in the dips of the Chilterns, coasting downhill at 60kph and there was no reception for my telecommunication apparatus - which meant no 'phone call to the crew to tell them I would be a 'tad' (a large tad) late.
Topcat got through to me eventually, and I said that i was ggggepgmpmpr[r[fd mear Tring...blah blah - my Garmin developed purple jaundice and all the info became a violet band across the screen! Down another dip and pop! An iron age flint caused my inner tube to gasp it's last and bring me to a halt.
No signal - "emergency calls only" - well, this was a sort of emergency (I could hear the women whingeing from a distance) so I texted Go.Go.Go.
(Well it's the only bit of that Welsh Town name I know....)
I headed out of Tring and thought of our very own mikee "iloveplanes"
Eventually, after chinwagging with another rider en route, and heading for Aylesbury, turning around and asking yet another pair of women walking two little dogs (the place is full of them don't you know?) I stumbled upon Will, and Dave was shouting at me from over the road etc..!
I have forgotten the name of the town where the group were.
in Wendover.
Anyway, I asked them why they were all hanging around and "let's get on the road".
Great weather - ideal conditions and a somewhat familiar peloton. My apologies to those I couldn't chat to - your gain and my loss, I assure you.
Having stuffed all my residue from the flat tyre into my back pockets, I could only admire Clive's pockets - neat, tidy and ready for action - just like him and his bike.
The irrepressible Ian was present - the Bromley Cyclist contingent was strong on this ride and there are no 'words worth' more than this picture:
I 'wondered' lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
So. We arrived at a first class eaterie called 'Little Italy' The grub was excellent, the decor spot on and it was a sublime choice by Adam 10/10. Forgot to take pics of the food which was a pity. Why the others sat indoors while we sat in the sun watching a red kite hovering and observing I'll not know. It-was-beautiful! By this time I was feeling like 40 winks but alas...
The obligatory group photo was taken by a nice woman who took pity on me. I had rehearsed a limp, let out a cry of 'oohh!' as I bent down to position the camera - that was enough for her to leap from her car and say "Would it help if I did that for you?"
I had put the camera down and was scratching my unmentionables by then so it was all a bit of a surprise. However, she did the necessary and took these photos too.
(Notice my 'reflection' in the photo
)
Dave, Will,Keith, Adam, Katie, Jane, Moi...
Steve, Jan, Ian, moi encore
, Clive,Adam,John,
GBH
gbs.
Please lets have some names.
A bit of climbing followed - nothing too serious, and it helped expand our knowledge of the Chilterns, Quainton, Waddesdon Manor and all sorts of
other quirky things...
Saturday in Early Autumn...doesn't get much better than this!
Assos Man - Dave / topcat...who is usually busy recording the day's events in his excellent fashion.
Man and nature in harmony - Ian ready to roll...
As part of the instant history lesson, Adam showed us bonj's secret tunnel running from Sheffield train station to 'somewhere secret in the Chilterns'. It's no secret anymore bonjy! Adam wanted to get the lid back down quickly because of the imminent threat of an atomic bonj but was having trouble...
In stepped the experienced Clive to lend a hand. Adam did all he could to make sure that Clive suffered no 'fallout'.
(It is actually a nuclear bunker. Providing that one has caught a train from Londinium, and then scampered up them bleedin' hills, one can climb down to immediate safety and run to Sheffield.)
Anyway, it was all very smooth, fast at times and picturesque - lovely!
These gardens were in a 'run of the mill' house. They were not open to the public - they were privet.
The signeage was straightforward and easy to read...
There was even encouragement for me...
..and I got a train back with the others and managed to do a bit of outstanding work which was on my mind, so all in - a great day out. Sorry to keep you all waiting. (No I'm not - I just wrote that for fun.)
'Til next time eh?
I have this image in my mind of Davy on the dancefloor - John Travolta meets Gareth Chilcott, blurring the boundaries of style in a wrist shaking, finger pointing extravaganza!
)
(Deprivation / starvation being two attributes)
